“Magis” is an important concept in Ignatian spirituality. It is the Latin word for the greater or the best. It captures the thirst for excellence that Ignatius wanted to foster in those who seek to serve God.
What does “magis” really mean? That’s the question Paul Coutinho asks in this talk. Specifically, he asks whether it means doing more or being more.
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Hi Jim,
Thanks for your explanation of what “Magis” means, but as a once and probably future Latin teacher, I need to “quibble” a bit with your translation of the Latin word “Magis.”
This word is best translated as “the more” (as Paul Coutinho notes). The Latin word for “great” is the adjective “magnus”; in its comparative form, “greater,” it is “maior;” and in its superlative form, “greatest,” it is “maximus.” Latin for “the best” would be “optimum.”
The word “magis” is the adverbial form of the adjective “maior,” and can be translated as “to a greater extent” or “more nearly” in addition to “the more.”
Thanks for your work for the blog Ignatian Spirituality.
Mary Kate